Eight police officers have been treated for injuries sustained in rioting connected with loyalist protests over the flying of the union flag at Belfast City Hall.

Cars were set alight and two people were arrested during the disorder in east Belfast which began shortly after tea time on Thursday.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesman said officers came under attack from a mob of about 100 in the Albertbridge Road, Castlereagh Street and Mountpottinger areas. Petrol bombs and other missiles were thrown at the police during the disturbances which took place at a sectarian interface close to the nationalist enclave of Short Strand.

There are fears that there will be further traffic disruption and more violence on the streets with a series of planned protests for Friday tea time. It is understood that one of the planned road blocks will be close to a public cemetery in north Belfast.

Many of the demonstrations have degenerated into violence. In one instance, a female police officer narrowly escaping a petrol bomb attack on a PSNI patrol car in east Belfast.